Numerous circuits and systems employ pulse signals to initiate, activate, or otherwise control circuit and/or system functions. Most often the pulse signals are required to be within specified limits as to duration, duty cycle and the like. In telecommunications systems, for example, pulse signals are employed for numerous purposes. Supervisory signals which include, among others, dial pulses and wink signals are of particular interest.
One characteristic of dial pulses which is of particular importance is the so-called break interval and its percentage of the overall dial pulse interval, i.e., break interval plus make interval. As is known, dial pulses may be received which vary in repetition rate from some minimum, for example, 7.5 pulses per second (PPS), to some maximum, for example, 12 PPS. It is important in certain applications that the percentage of the break interval of the individual dial pulses be substantially constant relative to the overall dial pulse interval over a desired range of incoming dial pulse rates.
One prior constant-percent break dial pulse corrector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,054 issued to J. L. Gilmer on Oct. 7, 1980. A problem with this prior arrangement is that it requires a plurality of counters to realize the constant-percent break pulse correction for each of the dial pulses. Additionally, the prior arrangement fails to provide for correcting the last pulse in the dial pulse string.